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A person's handwriting is as unique as their personality, which makes it tempting to connect the two. Graphology is a fun exercise, especially if you're testing someone you know, but it has very limited accuracy. If you're interested in a more scientific basis, learn how forensic investigators compare the handwriting of suspects and ransom notes.

Steps

Method1

Quick and Fun Analysis

1

Don't take graphology too seriously. Graphologists claim to find traces of personality in handwriting. There's probably a grain of truth in this — we can all imagine what "energetic" or "careless" handwriting looks like, for instance. However, since these claims have failed every scientific test, scientists consider graphology pseudoscientific and ineffective.[1][2] At best these correlations are informed guesses with many exceptions. They're fun to find, but don't use them to judge job applicants or alter friendships.

Never trust anyone who claims they can tell a criminal or adulterer from the handwriting. This is not possible, and the accusations cause unjustified harm to their victims.

2

Get a good sample. If possible, ask for a cursive writing sample on unlined paper. This tends to be easier to analyze than printed words or lined paper. Even better, get several handwriting samples at least a few hours apart. Handwriting changes with mood and circumstance, so a feature in one sample could just be a temporary artifact.

3

Look at the pressure of the strokes. Some people press hard into the paper, while others use a light touch. You can see this by how dark the writing turned out, and by pressure marks on the backside of the paper. Here's what graphologists say this means:[3][4]

High pressure indicates high emotional energy. The writer may be intense, sensual, or vigorous.

Average pressure indicates a relatively calm but anchored person. They might have good perception or memory skills.

Light pressure is a sign of introversion, or someone who prefers low-energy situations.

4

Check the slant of the strokes. Writing, especially cursive writing, tends to slant to the left or right. Try analyzing it like this, paying special attention to cursive letters with upper loops (such as b, d, or h):

A right slant shows up when the writer is eager to write, or writing quickly and energetically. If this happens often, the writer might be assertive and confident.

A left slant could mean an unwillingness to write, or a desire to hide emotions. Some say these writers are less cooperative than people who slant to the right.[5]

A straight vertical slant might mean the writer keeps her emotions in check.[6]

Note —This may not apply to left-handed people.

5

Look at the baseline. When writing on unlined paper, people tend not to write in a perfect straight line. Put a ruler down straight across the paper, and compare it to the angle of the sentences:[7]

Upward writing is said to show optimism and a happy mood.

Downward writing may be a sign of discouragement or fatigue.

Wavy writing that moves up and down could mean an unstable or uncertain person, or an unskilled writer.

6

Look at the size of the letters. Large letters mean the person is outgoing and extroverted. Small letters mean the person is reclusive, introverted, or thrifty.

7

Compare the spacing between letters and words. Does your friend cram letters close together? If so, he could be self conscious or introverted. If he drags the letters out, he might be generous and independent.[8] Graphologists also like to look at gaps between words; the closer they are, the more the writer enjoys crowds.[9] Others take a different approach and claim that more spacing between words shows clearer, more organized thought.[10]

8

Watch how the writer strings letters together. Connections between cursive letters is a rich source of analysis, since there are so many possible variations. Graphologists rarely agree on these, but here are a few common interpretations:[11]

Garlands: these curves are cup-shaped, open at the top. It may show people strength and warmth.

Arcades: downward-facing curves are slower and more dignified, but also associated with creative types.

Threads: the pen stroke becomes lighter and lighter at the end of a word, sometimes trailing dots on the page. It's usually a rushed and sloppy style, though there are other variations.

Method2

Forensic Document Analysis

1

Understand forensic document analysis. This field is often mistaken for graphology, especially in Europe where graphology has more of a following in courts. Document analysis can occasionally reveal small hints about age and sex, but it does not try to identify personality.[12] Its main purposes are to identify forgeries, and to compare a suspect's handwriting with a ransom note or other piece of evidence.

2

Request writing samples. All samples should be written voluntarily, with similar ink and paper. To practice your first analysis, ask a group of friends to write the same long paragraph of text. Have each person write it twice, on different pieces of paper. When they're done, shuffle them all together and use the techniques below to match each pair.

Criminal investigators like to use at least 3 copies of a full letter, or 20+ copies of a signature.

3

Look for differences first. A common mistake is to find a couple similarities between the samples, conclude they're the same writer, and stop looking. Challenge yourself to find differences first, then move on to similarities.[13] With that in mind, continue on to find out what to look for.

4

Compare baseline alignment. Look at the line on the paper, or put a ruler down underneath the writing if the paper is unlined. Different writers tend to write above or below the line. Some will stay level and even the whole way, while others are sloppier and move up and down.

5

Measure the space between letters. This is a little finicky, but also more objective than most comparisons. Take a ruler with millimeters and measure the space between letters or words. A significant difference in spacing could mean different writers. This is especially likely if one writing sample connects words with pen strokes, and the other separates them with gaps.[14]

6

Check height relationships between letters. Does the writer write the cursive l or k high above the other letters, or compressed down to the same height? This is a more consistent characteristic than the width of the loop or the slant of the letter.

7

Compare letter shapes. There are dozens of curves, loops, connectors, and letter endings that distinguish a writer. Without taking a formal course, the best way to learn these is to inspect a single, long writing sample, then compare it to someone else's. Here are a couple examples to get you started:

No writer writes like a machine. Look for different versions of a letter within the same sample to find out what kind of difference is unreliable. For example, if someone writes two fs with a fat loop and a thin loop, you can't rely on that shape for identification.

Now look for a letter with similar characteristics every time it shows up. For example, in cursive writing a person generally sticks to either a cursive capital I, or a simple vertical line stroke, or a line with crossbars. It's rare to see one writer use more than one of these.

8

Find signs of forgery. If you want another exercise, have your friends try to copy each other's signatures and present them in a pile along with the real thing. Here are a few telltale signs:[15][16]

Forgers have to write slowly to copy the writing. This can lead to slight tremors (wiggly lines) and a constant line thickness and shading. (Real signatures usually have lighter and darker shading as the speed changes.)

If the forger hesitates or pauses, you might see ink blots or pen lifts (small gaps in the signature). These are especially common at the start and end of the signature, or between letters.

Try writing your own signature five times, and you'll probably see significant variation. If two signature are extremely similar, down to every curve and line, one of them could be a forgery.

Community Q&A

I write using both print and cursive. Sometimes a word will contain both printed and cursive letters. What does that indicate?

Community Answer

If you just write in printed letters but connect them like cursive letters, it shows that you are an efficient person and like to save time. If it's a mix of print and cursive words, it means you're unpredictable and can be a bit antisocial.

What does it mean when someone spaces their letters very far apart or very close together?

Community Answer

Spacing is one of the easiest ways to see how much room a person really demands of others to allow them to function. A person whose spacing is very wide needs their space. A person with adequate spacing needs to get along with others. If the spacing is too narrow, the writer does not allow themselves enough room to make their own decisions, and they tend to rely on others to help them with even the little things in life.

Sometimes it's exuberance for what they are writing, sometimes its a way to embrace new things. Whatever it is, the growing left margin indicates a person who is compelled to expand their presence in the world by not sitting at home or dwelling on old times.

Tips

If the handwriting slants all over the place, the person is probably stressed. Accurate analysis is hard in this situation.

If you're impressed by someone's graphological predictions, stop and think for a second — especially if the predictor is asking for money. Would their predictions match almost anyone that shares your gender and age? Did the graphologist use vague words that almost anyone could latch onto?

This guide was written for English. It may not correspond well to other languages, especially if the language is not written in an alphabet and left-to-right.

If someone doesn't cross their t or dot their i, they might be careless or writing in a hurry.

Handwriting changes quickly in young people (into their teens) and in people suffering from disease or age-related health problems.

Warnings

Drugs, both legal and illegal, can cause handwriting changes. This makes handwriting analysis unreliable in these cases. (This does not mean you can tell someone is on drugs from their handwriting, unless you have many samples and plenty of practice.)

To learn graphology, or how to analyze handwriting, look at the pressure of the stroke. High pressure means high emotional energy, average pressure means a calm but anchored person, and light pressure could mean the person is an introvert. Next, examine the slant of the strokes—a right slant shows confidence, a left slant could mean a desire to hide emotions, and no slant could mean the person tries to keep emotions in check. Also, upward writing means optimism and downward writing could mean discouragement. To learn what you can find out from the size of the letters, keep reading!

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Co-Authored By:

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Updated: March 28, 2019

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Jun 27, 2017

"I am looking for someone who is willing to analyze my step-daughter's handwriting to learn more about her personality traits, in order to understand her adult temper tantrums. Reading your tips regarding the slant, spacing, height, etc., of letters was helpful."..." more

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Jun 3, 2016

"I recently found out that my dance teacher was a psychologist. I asked her to look at my handwriting, and she was able to analyze it and tell me what I was feeling. This article made me realize how much I like this. So now I can analyze my friends."..." more

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Anonymous

Jul 25, 2017

"The suggestion to get more than one sample at different times was helpful. Moods change within minutes, so this would be reflected in the writing. I've always considered handwriting as brainwriting."..." more

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Sep 12, 2016

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Kate Miezelle

Jul 9, 2016

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Jun 10, 2017

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May 31, 2016

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Jun 21, 2017

"Your articles helped to back up my own suspicions about what to look for, logically, in determining if a signature is forged or not."..." more

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Jun 6, 2016

"I'm very glad to know your information on handwriting analysis. Very helpful for a student of handwriting. "

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Elizabeth C. Wolyniec

May 31, 2016

"It helped me to be more intuitive and careful of how I sign my name, because I like to sign big and quickly."

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"Love it. Wanted to do an odd reward lesson with my students, and will use this info."